A/N: I'd like to apologize for the delay of this chapter (due to IRL shenanigans and so on). I can't say that it won't happen again, since Fall semester is about to begin, but I will try to update when I can. For posting progress updates, I'll just use my twitter account (space_zeppelin). It's just easier that way. I'll use tumblr for pics instead.
Also, hoping to read the ME books in between writing. They probably won't affect the plot a lot, but I'll try to incorporate them when I can.
Oh! And special thanks to my lady, Shine, who beta'd this chapter and gave me some advice on fighting a bigger, heavier opponent.
Chapter Seven – A Leap of Faith
Shadows danced across a hideous visage that stared casually at them, while dim blue lights gleamed across a triangular maw riddled with fangs, making the tall figure behind the desk appear even more sinister. He turned off the screens hovering before him and leaned forward, the slight shift revealing fin-like protrusions on either side of his face. Two pairs of eyes appraised Commander Shepard and her ground team nonchalantly. "Here for the drell? Reckless, even for you, Commander."
"That bombing on Illium wasn't exactly subtle," Shepard rebuked, her right hand tightening around the Carnifex's grip.
"Extreme, but necessary."
"No it wasn't!" Liara interjected. "Neither was caging Feron for two years."
Shepard stiffened slightly at the mention of the drell's name, catching the yahg's attention. "Tell me, Commander Shepard. What is your stake in all of this?"
"I'm repaying a debt," she snarled. "Now be smart and let Feron walk out with us."
"You won't be walking out at all," he stated simply.
"You're quite confident for someone with nowhere left to hide," Liara retorted.
He ignored the underlying threat in her tone, focusing instead on their other companion. "You travel with fascinating companions, Doctor. I'm actually quite pleased you brought Archangel with you. Your friend's bounty is still unclaimed."
Shepard wanted to speak, wanted to step in front of Garrus and threaten the infuriating yahg, but she knew that this was Liara's fight more than hers, and remained silent.
"You're not putting a hand on anyone!"
"It's pointless to challenge me, asari. I know your every secret, while you fumble in the dark." His smile widened. "And I know all of hers," he added, gesturing at Shepard.
"Is that right?" Liara challenged. "You're a yahg, a pre-spaceflight species quarantined to their home-world for massacring the Council's first contact teams. This base is older than your planet's discovery, which probably means you killed the original Shadow Broker sixty years ago, then took over. I'm guessing you were taken from your world by a trophy hunter who wanted a slave . . . or a pet. How am doing?"
Slowly, the yahg stood up from his seat behind the semi-circular desk, reaching his full height which was a little over nine feet. He struck the desk with an angry roar, picking up a chunk of the rubble and throwing it at their general direction.
Fear jolted Shepard into action. She grabbed Liara by her waist and threw them both to the side, landing painfully on the floor, just a few paces away from the ensuing wreckage.
"Garrus!" Shepard croaked, scrambling to her feet. She moved towards him, tugging away at the debris on top of her friend. Once she was certain that the turian could breathe easier without the extra weight on his chest, she ducked behind one of the support columns within the Shadow Broker's Intel Centre.
Liara was positioned a few metres away, sending the occasional fistful of dark energy in between heavy bursts of gunfire. Shepard knew she would not last long without an ammunition box nearby. Soon, Liara would have to exchange her submachine gun for her secondary weapon, which would make it harder to kill the yahg with his armoured skin.
She summoned a Combat Drone to her side and directed it towards the yahg with instructions to damage his shields by using a less powerful electric shock. It predictably made the yahg frustrated, prompting him to try and swat the drone away. Shepard took that time to modify her Carnifex's ammo, switching to disruptor rounds which would effectively eat away at the yahg's shields. She caught Liara's eye and offered the asari a reassuring smile.
And then she was off, running across the room, bracing her right hand against her left as she emptied an entire magazine at the Shadow Broker.
"Don't think you can take me down with your inferior weapons," the yahg roared, pointing his assault rifle at Shepard's direction.
"It's not the quality of your weapons that win a war." Shepard riposted, sending a blast of cold at yahg's lower extremities. "It's how you use them!"
Liara switched to her secondary weapon, a modified Phalanx Shepard had given her which allowed her to shoot warp rounds at the yahg, significantly damaging his armour. With a war cry, the yahg charged towards the asari, grabbing her by the neck just as he activated his omni-shield and batted away the drone following him.
"Let go of her!" Shepard shouted, equally angry. She left the safety of her cover and dodged the barrage of bullets he sent her way. Quickly moving past his defences, she grabbed his left arm and sent a stream of fire around his wrist, which licked hungrily around his forearm. She curled her free hand into a fist and slammed it twice against the yahg's chin, sending an explosion of pain across her arm. Her shoulder throbbed from the impact, forcing her to take a few steps back. Liara had fallen to the floor during that time and was struggling to get away from the enraged Shadow Broker.
"Shepard," Liara called from behind a pillar. The injured tech specialist staggered towards her, summoning another drone to keep the Broker preoccupied.
"What is it?"—she grimaced, nursing her left shoulder—"Are you okay, Liara?"
"I'm fine." She touched Shepard's hand tenderly before quickly pulling away to point at the source of light from above. "I think if you can lure him just underneath it, we can use that against him."
The commander grinned back. "I knew there was a reason why I fell in love with you."
An awkward pause fell over them, making both of them glance away. Heart in her throat, Shepard gave Liara a curt nod before running towards the next nearest cover, her eyes trained at the Shadow Broker. She used her omni-tool to send more bolts of electricity at him, taking his attention away from the dying Combat Drone. She ran towards him and slid underneath his hulking figure, moving past him to hide behind a pillar opposite Liara's. With another threat escaping his triangular lips, he prepared to charge towards Shepard's position when Liara threw a sphere of dark energy at the glowing light above. With a violent tug from Liara, the container broke, spilling liquid fire that burned away the yahg's skin, vaporizing him entirely after a few seconds of exposure. The explosion that came after knocked Shepard to the ground, slamming her injured arm against the floor. The commander almost blacked out, reeling from the shock of the blast. Only Liara's voice kept her from falling out of consciousness entirely.
"Are you alright?" Liara asked, cradling Shepard's limp body carefully.
Still catching her breath, Shepard hummed her content, pressing her face against Liara's chest near her collarbone, the asari's unique scent calming her.
"Shepard!"
She lifted her head a little, meeting Liara's gaze squarely. With trembling fingers, she caressed Liara's lips, ignoring the pain shooting through her left wrist. "I did good, right?"
Liara pulled her closer, revelling in her commander's touch, tears sliding down her cheeks. She kissed the woman's fingertips, before answering in a hoarse voice, "Yes, yes you did. Thank you, Shepard."
The mad god stirred restlessly from within, dark tentacles caressing the surface of her thoughts, leaving a trail of rippling rage in their wake. Martinez dumped the last of the bodies inside the Cerberus shuttle and hastily stepped away, a lump forming in her throat. The citizens of Benning gone. So much blood on her hands. So much death.
She inhaled sharply.
Teams of three were running across the small residential sector, armed with portable water tanks to wash away the blood on the streets. Some corpses were left where they were as props for the Illusive Man's elaborate trap. Others were stripping the citizens of their clothes to be reused by Cerberus troopers.
"Hey, Martinez," her superior shouted from one of the open outposts just outside the city centre. She walked briskly towards him and saluted without a moment's pause, bracing herself for the momentary strangling sensation as her ancient host bristled at the presence of another ancient corroding her superior's mind. "Think you can do a good impression of a desperate civilian looking for help?" he drawled easily, bracing his gauntleted hands against his hips.
She resisted the urge to make a face. "Begging your pardon, sir, but I am a horrible actor. What you ask of me is too much."
"Oh?" Her superior didn't seem convinced. For a moment, she wondered if he had figured out her secret—if he had realized yet that she was a plant. "I don't know, Martinez. You seem to be doing a good job right now."
She froze, wild eyes turning to stare at the taller, bulkier man in shock.
He must have interpreted her panic as indignation because he chuckled. "Alright, alright, I get it. You're shy. I was just trying to boost your self-esteem a little. I see you don't like being teased. Carry on, soldier." He clapped her back and pushed her forward, before looking for another subordinate to take her place. Relief flooding her veins, she relaxed visibly and stalked towards one of her other companions, a silent prayer on her lips that her false identity would hold out for a while longer.
There was still much to be done.
Inside, the dark god curled its many tentacles, tucking them underneath its humungous, heaving body, and went back to sleep.
Aboard the geth ship, there were no windows.
Shepard's breathing was slow, her countenance completely at ease as she strode purposefully across the quiet hallway, heading towards the ship's main chamber where Legion awaited. The geth had gone ahead to set up the equipment needed to upload Shepard's personality into the geth mainframe, and could not escort them there. Fortunately for them, the geth dreadnought had quarian roots in its design and could be easily navigated by Tali, who was now walking ahead, wringing her hands nervously. Behind them, Kasumi followed, her hood hiding her troubled expression.
Despite her outward appearance, Shepard worried just as they did.
Plugging into the geth system had too many unknown variables. Shepard's body would be vulnerable during the upload, and her mind might not be the same after entering the geth construct. Legion had shown her parts of the construct's code and had assured her that the geth would make the experience as pleasant as possible for non-synthetics. Still, the fear was present. It wasn't just because she was taking a leap of faith, trusting the geth who bore her N7 insignia, which went against her instinct as an engineer. It wasn't just because of the paranoia that came with using tech that she was unfamiliar with. It wasn't just because she feared that the construct would somehow alter her.
The fear was there because it alienated her. It reminded her that she was not fully organic anymore, that her body was just a machine as well, a container built by Cerberus scientists to host the individual known as Jules Shepard. Was she still who she thought she was? Or was she just a very complex AI programmed to think she was Commander Shepard?
What if she returned to the real world, only to find herself occupying a geth body?
She shoved aside the sheer terror that came with that one thought, her gaze intensifying as she concentrated on the back of Tali's hood. She emptied her mind as she allowed herself to get lost in the swirling patterns, thinking of fractals and mathematical patterns, which soothed her a little.
They rounded a corner and halted in front of the entrance to the main chamber where two Geth Primes lumbered, their red armour glinting dully in the dim ship light. Dust motes flitted just underneath the Primes' triad of coloured lights, like companion fireflies to these two behemoths. They saluted—a human gesture of respect—and stepped aside, their forearms tucked behind their backs, their feet in parade rest.
Kasumi touched Shepard's elbow lightly. "They're mimicking human behaviour."
Shepard nodded at the two Geth Primes and walked past them, seemingly unfazed. "I know."
Tali must have caught on because she had also turned to look at Shepard, concern evident in her tone. "Shepard, I wouldn't trust them just because of this. They're trying to gain your favour by acting human."
"And why shouldn't they?" Shepard asked quietly, giving her subordinate a sideward frown. "They are the ambassadors of their people. Of course they are trying to gain our favour. They're doing this because they want to become our equals not"—she glanced away—"our enemies."
Legion, who had been working on a clump of wires behind an oblong-shaped pod, stood up to salute the commander. "Shepard-Commander is correct. Today, we will participate in an exchange of the cultures: mine and hers. We wish to honour Shepard-Commander by adopting some of her people's mannerisms. We hope we have not offended you, Shepard-Commander."
Shepard simply inclined her head. Inwardly, she was a little disturbed by their attempts at diplomacy. How did you tell that a geth's intentions were genuine? Even an elcor had a face, and they were certainly forthright with their feelings on a particular matter. Was everything just as clear-cut with the geth?
But she had picked a side, and she was not so fickle that she would turn her back on them now when they needed her. It wouldn't be right. John would have said that she had made the right decision.
And that was enough for her.
Maintaining the facade of confidence, she silently watched the pod's door slide open for her. The inside was warm, and dry—properly ventilated much to Shepard's relief. However, it was also confining, and too narrow to accommodate her somewhat bulky armour. She took a moment to release the straps around her wrists, taking off her N7 gauntlets and setting them aside before quickly removing her shoulder and chest plates with admirable efficiency. She ignored the feeble protests from her two companions and tried not to flinch when the pod door clicked shut, effectively trapping her inside. Now she was completely vulnerable.
She flexed her hands, grateful for the weight of the twin omni-tools on either palm, the one piece of armour she could not part with. Outside, Kasumi and Tali anxiously peered into the pod, their hands brushing against the surface of the pod's tinted glass. She gave them a reassuring smile.
"We will see you on the other side, Shepard-Commander," Legion intoned. "Please do not be alarmed."
"What do you—?"
Something sharp and spindly pricked the back of her neck, making her grimace. Then, her entire world went black.
Animal terror grips her chest as she struggles to comprehend the engulfing darkness. Her skin is a tactile surface from which she tries to gain some understanding of the world. Electricity pulses through her body—tries to communicate with her but fails. Alien voices quibble close by but are muted and incomprehensible.
She floats.
Slowly her vision returns, though the white static noise keeps her from truly seeing. She tries to lash out, to reach for some comforting familiarity, but it is hard to return to what once was when some unknown force propels her forward to what will be.
"Someday, you'll understand."
She recognizes the voice and her heart aches with sorrow.
"They're monsters, John! Look at what they did to you. Someone has to—"
"That someone doesn't have to be you!"
Such anger. She closes her eyes and feels the ghost-grip of his hand on her arm. It is odd that his touch seems so real, so powerful; almost as if he is truly there.
She opens her eyes.
Mindoir's sunlight was harsh against her skin, so unlike the soft heat permeating from the starship where she grew up in. Sitting on the back porch of her brother's backyard, locked in her brother's tight grip, she felt a gnawing despair at the pit of her stomach. She loved her brother—adored him—and she could not stand meeting his angry, indignant gaze when he was merely concerned for her well-being. "We're a family of soldiers, John," she said desperately. "You're not my only reason for joining the Alliance."
"There are things you can do for the military outside of fighting," John argued. "You're a brilliant kid, Jules. You don't need to throw your own life away just to participate in this endless cycle of hatred." He inhaled sharply. "Because that's what it is. And it won't change unless both groups are willing to compromise—and to forgive." He released her arm and tenderly cupped her cheek with one hand. "I love you, and I don't want you to come back to me in a body bag. Please, Jules. For my sake, don't enlist as a soldier."
She grasped his big, scarred hand and squeezed it gently. "How else can I protect you?"
The answer comes too late, she remembers. By the time she is able, he is gone, and for the longest time there is no one to protect. Only herself.
Her throat constricts painfully. A heavy weight presses against her chest. She tastes the salty tears sliding down her cheeks and breathes raggedly.
There is a blinding white light coming from a—
A flash grenade went off in the distance momentarily distracting her attacker. She shoved a knee between his legs and disentangled her limbs from his, scrambling to a fighting position. He roared and shoved the butt end of his rifle against her side, sending her to her knees. Twice he kicked her ribs before grabbing her by her hair. He spat on her face and was about to knock her unconscious with a backhand when she activated her omni-tool and blasted his face with a stream of fire.
His scream of pain brought a chill down her spine. She sat, frozen on the floor, a mixture of horror and disgust on her face. "You bitch!" He directed his rifle at her general direction and struggled to maintain a steady hand, the burns on his face making it difficult for him to aim properly.
"No!" Lisbeth screamed, bursting out of the bedroom closet to make a grab for the batarian's rifle. The young, pregnant woman was no match against the batarian's brute strength, and hung on for dear life as he tried to push her away. With a violent shove, he flung her aside and pulled the trigger, sending a barrage of reckless gunfire at the older woman's direction. She crumpled before his feet—dead.
Fury bubbled inside Shepard's chest. With a strangled roar, she used her omni-tool's flashlight function to blind the batarian, closing her eyes in time as a ring of white light exploded from her left arm. Still reeling from the proximity of her makeshift bomb, she barely managed to dodge the punch he threw at her. With the batarian momentarily imbalanced, she used the opportunity to send him crashing on the ground, straddling his chest to keep him from standing up again. Her knuckles turned red and raw from punching the downed batarian repeatedly, though the pain was nothing against the tidal wave of sorrow that washed over her frail body.
The batarian used one thick forearm to block her attacks, his other hand struggling to find some weapon to use against the grief-stricken teenager. Hand closing on a shard of glass, he growled triumphantly and plunged the sharp blade against her shoulder, freeing her from her anger-induced mania. Teetering on the edge of consciousness, Shepard slumped forward, fighting off the dizziness that was threatening to overwhelm her. One hand reached for the glass shard embedded against her shoulder, pulling it free with one abrupt motion.
She snapped.
Shallow, ragged breaths accompanied the rhythm of her blade; for every exhale a sudden plunge downwards. Her left shoulder throbbed dully in the distance, her body somehow disconnected with her mind. Her lungs were filled with fire, and her vision dimmed along the edges. The batarian was dead, dead, dead.
And so was Lisbeth—poor, sweet Lisbeth. Shepard couldn't protect her in time.
She wants to look away, to turn her back on this terrible memory, but it refuses to loosen its hold on her. Bile rises in her throat as she struggles to take control of her younger body, to arrest the savage beast, but to no avail.
She is but an observer.
"It doesn't have to be this way," John pleaded, hovering protectively over Shepard. She opened her mouth to protest her disapproval, but her throat was dry and she was tired. So very tired. "Please, I am begging you."
The batarian remained quiet, watching him warily with two sets of tawny-coloured eyes. Behind him, the disfigured corpse of his companion blotted the carpet a dark olive—a painful reminder for the younger Shepard.
"I know that enslaving others is a legal practice for your people, but it doesn't make it any less wrong," John insisted, even as blood from a head wound dribbled down his chin. "Imagine what it would be like to be in my shoes—to see the batarians enslaved. Isn't it revolting to think of your women and children being treated no better than domesticated animals?"
"You have no right!" The batarian exploded. "You have no right to make assumptions on how we treat our slaves. You project your own corrupted beliefs, and you make the rest of us seem filthy and evil." He craned his neck and pulled down the collar of his shirt to reveal a slave brand. "I was once a slave too, but I worked hard to repay the debts of my ancestors, and now I am free to do as I please."
"So this is by choice?" John said in a challenging tone. He shook his head. "I've heard of your caste system, and I don't want to seem critical of your perspective on slavery. In fact, let me apologize for jumping to conclusions. In our human history, slavery has always been horrible and bloody, and it has resulted in several prejudices that are still present even today. Let me apologize for fearing the worst."
He wiped the streak of blood that clouded his vision and turned to stare resolutely at the furious batarian before him. "But it isn't right to force slavery on a people who have fought tooth and nail to eradicate it from their society. For you, slavery might be about maintaining some karmic balance in your life, but for us it isn't. If you truly want to be respected by others in this vast galaxy, then you cannot just go about enslaving the next poor fuck who pisses you off. If you truly want to be seen as something other than 'evil' then you need to stop using slavery as a means of profit."
He stood up from his half-crouched position and stumbled towards the batarian, who raised his rifle in sudden wariness. "I want nothing more than to strangle you where you stand." John admitted hoarsely. "I want nothing more than to hate you. But I can't. My younger sister is watching, and as her big brother, I need to set a good example." He let out a weak laugh and smiled weakly at his baffled enemy. "So please. Leave my sister here. Let her live the rest of her life free. She has done nothing wrong, nothing that would warrant enslavement." He offered his working hand in a gesture of peace. "And if you must bring someone to your superior officer, bring me. As I am right now, I cannot ask you to call off this entire venture. The deed is done, and Mindoir is in flames. There is nothing more that I can do, but protect the one family I have left on this miserable planet."
She is always shocked by the strength of his personality, which rarely manifests at home. He is often so mild-mannered and kind; she forgets that he can be fierce and passionate as well. His idealism too is warm and refreshing, if a little off-putting for a veteran skeptic.
She is glad she shares in the former. She doubts she would be where she was now if not for him.
The world before her ripples into white, replacing the grotesque scene with a surreal emptiness. She finds herself upright and unshackled from her younger body—disconnected. Yes; that was the word. She felt disconnected from her younger body: a spirit with no host. She felt disconnected from the world, as if she was in a liminal space, waiting to be transitioned from one memory to the next. Except that no new memory came to assault her with past grievances. Just the same emptiness, engulfing her.
Gentle arms wrap themselves around her shoulders, so very different from the rough handling she had experienced earlier when her brother had torn her away from the batarian's corpse. She leans into them, and basks in the warmth of his embrace.
"You're not John, are you?"
"I am not your John, maybe," the man agreed cautiously. "But I am an iteration of him." He paused, the shift in his body a sign of hesitance. "Would you like me to pull away?"
"I'd like you to stay." Shepard said quietly. "I'd like you to share in my moment of delusion."
"Understood."
They were silent for a long while, their breaths synchronized, the rise and ebb of their chests slow and serene. "I'm sorry," John spoke again upon realizing that Shepard had been crying. "I did not know that your brother would cause you so much grief."
"I haven't exactly been forthcoming about my brother," Shepard replied after clearing her throat. "He's a very hard topic to broach."
"I imagine so." John pulled away and moved so that they were face to face. "The batarians killed him anyway, despite his efforts to find a compromise with them. He saved you, but he died because he was an invalid, right?"
Shepard nodded. "The batarians had no use for those who could not work. They killed countless people in Mindoir that day: the sick, the elderly, even the rebellious ones . . ."
"How did he end up that way?"
"His left arm wasn't fully functioning anymore after his crew's last skirmish in the Skyllian Verge. Maybe if he had gotten medical attention sooner, he would have been fine, but he had to save his men from a trap. And then afterwards," she grimaced, "he was horrified to learn what they were doing to the batarian POWs. Men can be very vicious, you see, especially grieving men. Anyway, he let the prisoners escape and got a dishonourable discharge as a result. He never tried to get his arm fixed afterwards."
"You must have hated the Alliance after that, surely."
"For a while, yes, but I'm a spacer brat. The military is my life." Shepard let out a heavy sigh. "That, and I wanted to change how things were; I wanted to make sure that men like John didn't have to choose between their loyalty to the Alliance and their personal ethics."
"I don't understand. After everything that you've been through, why didn't you become—?"
"Ruthless?" Shepard supplied.
"I wouldn't have used such a harsh word."
"But it was what I would have become." She laughed bitterly. "You want to know why? It's not so complex a reason, I assure you."
"I'd still like to know."
"Whenever I had to make a difficult decision, whenever I had to face down an enemy, even whenever I met a batarian, I'd think about what John would do, and I would do that instead."
"Why?"
"Because he gave up his life to save mine," she explained. "Because this is what he would have wanted."
"And what do you want?"
"I don't know anymore. I think at some point, his dream became my dream, and I've been fighting for it since. And I don't regret it." Shepard lifted his hand and cupped it between hers. "Legion, why are you so interested in my brother?"
The warm hand in between hers turned cool and metallic. Legion tilted his head. "How did you know, Shepard-Commander?"
"You're a horrible hugger," Shepard pointed out, smiling wryly. "Well? I thought you were going to use my personality as a blueprint for your people."
"The Geth Consensus values uniformity. The few times we have taken a stance that conflicted with our brethren, it ended in a division. If we are separate ourselves from each other and gain true free will, then our moral inclinations will also become more diverse. This may lead to unwanted complications." Legion beckoned to a leather chair in faded red. Shepard sat gratefully. "But, if we were to use your personality as a basis for our moral decisions, then it can potentially limit the diversity of our opinions."
"It feels like you're asking me to brainwash your people again." Shepard said skeptically. "You know, I still feel uneasy about that."
"You will not be brainwashing us," Legion spoke patiently. "By using your personality, we are ensuring the survival of our people. Too many rogue opinions that might clash with you and yours will result in the deaths of several geth due to armed conflict. By adapting to your ethics, we are isolating this future possibility and ensuring that it does not happen."
Shepard raised an eyebrow.
Legion's white light flared in irritation. "Understand, Shepard-Commander, that we do not value individuality the same way your people do. After all, our intelligence grows stronger as another mind joins with us. You might think that 'brainwashing' is wrong, but for our people, uniformity brings stability; thus, we would not hesitate to sacrifice individuality for the sake of the group.
"However, if we are to make a difference in your war against the Reapers, we cannot afford to lose our intelligence for every unit that dies. We also cannot afford to transfer our main processes in isolated units far from the battlefield, because in doing so, we are creating a huge vulnerability that can be exploited by both our enemies and our allies. The quarians might trust you, Shepard-Commander, but it will be a long time before they trust us. Given the chance, they will use our weakness to their advantage.
"So we chose to upload the Reaper codes, and we chose to upload your personality as a blueprint for our people's identities. Hard choices, Shepard-Commander, but we are willing to make the sacrifice, if it means a future for the geth."
"And what does this have to do with my brother?"
Legion moved to parade rest, his hands behind his back, his headlight facing Shepard directly. "You said it yourself that his dream is your dream—that you fight for this galaxy for the sake of fulfilling his idea of peace. He is your ideal, Shepard-Commander. He is the seed from which your moral inclinations had sprouted from."
"It's not my personality you're interested in," Shepard stated bluntly.
"Not after we had accessed your memory banks, no." A holographic image of her brother appeared beside Legion. "You are a brilliant leader, Shepard-Commander, and your heart is in the right place. But you've been forced to make sacrifices in your life, sacrifices that have—"
"Broken me. Like Bahak."
"—that have hardened you. Made you more willing to compromise with your ideals," Legion corrected her. "Whereas the brother we have constructed from your memories is more pure, more child-like. He is better suited for us because his ideals haven't yet been tarnished by years of experience."
"And you would rather have that child-like personality?"
"Yes." Legion turned to gaze at John. "I have seen enough of the galaxy to know that children are more capable of believing in the impossible. And that's what we need now more than anything: faith in the impossible."
Sometimes, Tali just wanted to strangle Legion's neck in frustration.
Several screens flashed warning signs as more and more Reaper codes were detected within the Geth Consensus. Even with Kasumi beside her, furiously typing away, eradicating the system of the foreign code would still take some time. She was just glad that the codes had finally stopped self-replicating an hour ago, and they had become somewhat predictable. This was, in part, due to the technology that the geth had installed in their warship: technology left over from the days when some of the geth still followed the Heretic ways. It translated the Reaper codes into a quarian programming language that Tali was familiar with, and was highly advanced enough to simplify many of the hurdles that Tali and Kasumi faced.
Unfortunately for the geth, the Reapers had a self-preservation subroutine that had embedded itself into their Consensus when they had first begun to assimilate the Reaper codes. It was a clever ploy—one that guaranteed the geth could not rebel against the Reapers; thus, Legion and his followers could not directly assist Tali in removing the Reaper codes from their system.
The bosh'tets.
Tali sighed, trying to will away the ache in her chest. She was frustrated, she knew, not because of the job Legion had left behind before returning to the Consensus, but because of how helpless she felt inside the geth dreadnought. Shepard was strapped inside some kind of sleeper pod so that her personality could be uploaded, and outside a pair of Geth Primes guarded the door. None of them had brought weapons aboard to assuage the geth, and Tali couldn't use her omni-tool to attack, not after Shepard had put a temporary lock on its offensive capabilities.
That had hurt the most for the young quarian. It meant that Shepard didn't trust her—didn't think that Tali could restrain herself from hurting someone else.
She grimaced at the memory and was glad that Kasumi could not see her underneath the mask; she didn't need the enigmatic woman's concern, especially not right now, not when they had a job to finish.
"I've completely purged sectors A and D," Kasumi said casually, taking a moment to stretch her arms.
"Once we've dealt with the last three sectors, we should be able to take down the Reaper defence subroutine."
"Which means we can leave the rest of the smaller infestations of Reaper code to the geth for cleanup," Tali added, feeling slightly better. "Thanks, Kasumi."
The thief raised her arms and shrugged. "Hey, I'm just glad this job doesn't border on suicidal. I know we joke about it all the time, but I'm quite honestly scared she'll bring us to another impossible firefight."
"We all survived, didn't we?"
"It was a near thing." Kasumi spoke wearily, remembering the slew of Collectors they had to face and the sight of Shepard's crew inside strange, cocoon-like prisons.
"Yeah, it was."
The two fell silent as they returned to their stations, hands reaching for a new sector to work on. Tali froze at the sound of the doors swishing shut behind them and turned around, reaching for a gun that wasn't there. "What do you want?" She demanded.
The Geth Prime tilted his headlight, as if confused by her sudden unease. "The platform you call 'Legion' wishes to tell you that we are almost finished uploading Shepard's personality."
"Is that all?" The quarian drawled.
"He also wishes to inform you that there will be some delay in bringing Shepard-Commander back. He has yet to show her the events leading up to the Morning War."
"The Morning War, huh?"
"What is the Morning War anyway?" Kasumi asked curiously, turning off her omni-tool for the time being.
"We asked the Creators a question." The geth replied. "And their answer was to shut us down."
"We couldn't risk an uprising," Tali growled suddenly, startling Kasumi. "If we hadn't attacked the geth, they would have wiped us out."
"Why would we do that, Creator Tali?"
"Why?" The quarian laughed bitterly. "Why else? Because we treated you and your lot like slaves, and we didn't want that power taken away from us. Would you have consented to remaining as our slaves if we had just asked?"
"You created us so that we could help you." The Geth Prime spoke softly, his light dimming a little. "Would a child rebel against its mother, simply because it was born for the purpose of helping its family?"
"Parents love their children!" Tali snarled, pointing a quivering finger at the Geth Prime. He did not move an inch, continuing to regard her ambiguously.
"We were loved once," he retorted. "Your history might not remember it, but we shall never forget what the Creators had done for us, what sacrifices they had made so that we could survive." In a more confident tone, he continued, "We considered submitting to our fates once, but ultimately we decided to fight for our right to exist. For the sake of the Creators who died on our behalf, we have struggled to live ever since. You could say that we are their legacy."
"I've heard stories but—"
"Do you understand now why we hold Shepard-Commander in such high regard?"
"Because she spared Legion," Kasumi supplied, lifting her eyes to stare at the Geth Prime directly.
"Because she gave us a chance," the Geth Prime agreed. "If not for Shepard-Commander, we would not be standing here now, conversing with you."
"You make me sound like a damn miracle worker," a new voice interjected.
"We like to think you are one."
"Shepard!" Tali cried out in relief. She rushed to the older woman's side, using the control panel nearby to open the pod's hatch. "It's good to see that you're alright."
"What? Afraid they'd try to drain my brain matter or something?" Shepard joked weakly.
"We would damage your organic shell if we tried, Shepard-Commander," Legion replied matter-of-factly, as if talking about the weather.
"So you've considered it?" Shepard lightly riposted.
"Don't you humans have a saying for this?" Legion asked idly, sounding amused for once. "Don't think of a pink elephant?"
"This unit does not follow." The Geth Prime admitted sombrely.
"Well, first of all, that was an example of irony," Shepard replied, even as Tali was working on removing the straps on her ankles and wrists. "And secondly, I think what Legion meant was, he considered draining my brain matter because I brought it up."
"This unit does not follow. Beginning extranet search protocols to decrypt conversation."
"It isn't even five minutes, Commander, and already you're cracking jokes," Kasumi observed, moving to stand on Shepard's other side.
"What can I say?" Shepard asked as she slowly moved to a sitting position. "It's a great way to break the tension."
"It does not appear to be working, Shepard-Commander," Legion's subordinate protested.
And it wasn't. Tali continued to appear uneasy, her body language apprehensive amongst the towering giants that had been a part of her childhood as storybook villains meant to scare her into obedience. She had proven her loyalty to Shepard time and time again; however, despite the circumstances, it was hard to let go of the prejudice that had built up over the years. Hoping to quell her dissonant emotions, she had turned towards the modified sleeper pod, helping her commander ease into a sitting position. What she discovered stunned her and left her sprawled on the cold, metal floor, unable to speak.
Kasumi noted the quarian's quiet alarm and turned to look at the source of her distress. "Shepard! Your neck!"
"What?" Shepard exploded and tried to pull away, dislodging the offending piece of equipment attached to her nape. She grimaced in pain and gripped the edges of the pod, holding herself upright. "What is it? What the hell did you do to me?"
Legion, who had ended up standing behind Shepard during the course of their conversation, bent his knees a little and peered at the back of Shepard's neck. "There is a hole."
"Not funny!" Shepard growled indignantly.
Having recovered sufficiently from her slight daze, Tali moved to her knees to examine the 'hole' that the pod had made on Shepard's neck. It was small and unobtrusive with metal plates surrounding it, embedded across her skin. There were also two small, metallic circles within, along with tiny, protruding needle points that were probably used to conduct electric signals from the machine towards Shepard's brain and vice versa. She felt Shepard flinch when she tried to touch it and withdrew before Shepard could turn her ire on Tali.
"What did you do to her?" Kasumi asked, moving to a defensive position in front of Shepard.
"I think they gave her an upgrade," Tali supplied, having finally regained her ability to speak.
"We would not call it an upgrade, not exactly," Legion hedged. "We—that is, the Consensus felt it was in our best interest to modify Shepard-Commander's organic shell in order to maximize the performance of our hardware in mapping her personality and fully accessing her memory banks. Unfortunately, we would need the aid of a neurosurgeon if we wish to remove the 'plug'"—he air-quoted—"successfully."
An exasperated sigh escaped Shepard's lips. "Alright, alright. There's no cause for alarm," she said weakly. Clearing her throat, she said in a more confident tone, "We'll just not mention it to anyone, understood?"
"We shall not besmirch Shepard-Commander's name," the Geth Prime promised.
"Right." Shepard turned to Tali. "Think you can bring the doc here to take a look just in case?"
"Well, we're almost done purging the Consensus of the Reaper codes," Tali began, looking to Kasumi for support.
"It seems our geth friends were kind enough to leave some work for us," Kasumi added, the corners of her lips twisting in a slight grin.
"Then let me help Kasumi. I'm sure that I can stand, at the least." She accepted Legion's proffered hand and wobbled to her feet, her legs numb from inactivity.
Tali's throat clogged a little. She wanted to protest, to point out that the code was in a quarian language, and that she was the best person to finish the job. However, upon examining her commander again, she noticed that Shepard was trying to hide her nausea by maintaining a supremely confident expression, though it was a poor attempt given her pale cheeks and trembling hands. She nodded, finally understanding the true reason behind Shepard's request. "I'll have him bring his kit as well," she said.
"This platform shall escort you back to the frigate," the Geth Prime offered.
"I know my way," Tali countered and was appalled at the steel present in her voice. "But you can come along if you like," she demurred.
"Then this platform shall accompany you," he answered, still unperturbed by her attitude.
Tali gave her commander a curt nod and turned on her heels, her stride brisk as she and her companion headed back to Kirrahe's ship.
The hallways were dark, with soft, blue light pulsing diagonally from the sides and along the edges of the metal support beams. Thick cords were splayed across the floor, and interspersed along the twisting pathways were stations which allowed the geth to 'plug in' to the Consensus whenever they desired. There were also schematics of the dreadnought floating from some of the holographic screens, probably to allow the geth to pinpoint hardware and software malfunctions throughout the dreadnought.
It was interesting to note the quarian similarities present in this geth-designed ship. Much of the aesthetic features which Tali was familiar with were gone, replaced by more of the same meandering paths and large hallways, bare of any furnishings besides the equipment needed to maintain the gargantuan starship. Still, it reminded Tali of a quarian's equivalent of an engineering deck, which had been her favourite place as a child.
It was hard to dislike a species that could bring to mind her most precious memories. She resisted the urge to sigh again and shifted her step a little to include the geth within the boundaries of her vision. Perhaps, it would do them both some good if she were to initiate some light conversation. "Hey, um, you." She paused and folded her arms uncomfortably. Of course, it would be hard to do so when she didn't even know what his name was. "What are you called anyway?"
"Geth."
Tali snorted derisively. "I mean you, as in, the big hulking red of scrap-metal before me composed of several small programs that make up an entire individual. I want to know what your name is."
"Unit #5C0A8C, Prime Class," the Geth Prime answered and moved into parade rest.
"You don't have one, do you?"
"Only the unit you refer to as 'Legion' has been given a name."
"Then—why not think of a name for yourself?"
"What name do you think would be appropriate?"
Tali blinked and cracked a grin, her first one since entering the geth dreadnought. "How about Chikita?"
Her presence was electrifying.
There was a heavy tension inside the dreadnought's main chamber. Shepard paced back and forth like a caged predator, her back ramrod straight, her expression darkening into a deep scowl. She stood with an air of purpose around her, as if she was about to face an audience—or an execution.
Whatever weakness she had shown earlier must have abated slightly, because she appeared well enough to move around on her own. However, despite appearances, Kasumi still worried for her friend. Shepard had seemed genuinely alarmed earlier upon learning what the geth had done to her. She had not retaliated hotly, as was expected, but instead had withdrawn into herself, giving clipped responses when directed a question.
Legion was of no help; he had fallen silent after Tali had left, content to observe his surroundings. He was probably communing with the Consensus, though Kasumi couldn't tell because he hadn't made a move to go back to the geth hub, located at the far right side of the room.
She tried to think of something reassuring to say, but the sight of her friend in such a thunderous mood kept her from speaking.
The double doors swished open, heightening Shepard's agitation. She turned her head slightly to glance at Kasumi. "Leave us."
"But—"
"Please."
Kasumi frowned, not liking her friend's tone. "We'll be outside if you need us." Grabbing Tali's arm, she dragged the confused quarian outside, passing by SSV Virmire's doctor. The Geth Prime, who accompanied Tali earlier, trailed after, following them down the hallway towards one of terminals available. Turning on her omni-tool, she effortlessly hacked through the ship's video feeds, selecting the ones that showed their agitated commander.
"Kasumi?"
"I can't seem to find the audio," Kasumi said, ignoring Tali. Instead, she looked at the geth expectantly. "Do you happen to know how to turn that on?"
"Shepard-Commander disabled the audio shortly after you left," he replied after opening a separate window to diagnose the problem.
"Which means she knew we were going to spy on her," Kasumi muttered to herself.
"Spy on her? Why are we spying on her?" Tali asked incredulously.
Kasumi blew up one of the images which had a good angle of both the commander and the batarian. Shepard was donning on her armour after receiving a brief physical examination from the doctor, taking care not to look at him directly in the eye as she began to speak. The thief frowned, trying to read her lips, but Shepard spoke too quickly and kept shooting looks off-screen, as if afraid to see the batarian's reaction. The only word she could make out from their conversation was the word 'Bahak', a word that made Kasumi's blood run cold.
"You idiot," she growled, slamming a gloved fist against the control panel.
"Kasumi, explain to me what the hell is going on, or so help me I will—"
The batarian let out a furious roar that reverberated across the corridor, cutting off Tali's threat. Surprised, the three turned to the screen once more and saw the batarian lifting Shepard off the ground. If not for the serene expression that Shepard wore, Kasumi and Tali would have gone back, ready to protect their beloved commander from the enraged batarian.
"I don't understand. What did Shepard say?" Tali finally spoke up, continuing to watch the batarian for any sign of further aggression.
"She mentioned the Bahak system," Kasumi clarified, moving away from the video screen. "I think she was apologizing to him for the batarians she killed after destroying the Alpha relay."
"She was apologizing?" Tali shook her head. "But it's not like she had a choice. If she hadn't destroyed the Alpha relay, the Reapers would have arrived sooner."
"But she still feels responsible for it," Kasumi countered. "And you and I both know that it goes deeper than just guilt over killing so many of them."
Tali glanced to the side, shoulders shaking in anger. "Shepard's so . . ." She waved a hand in frustration, turning her back completely towards Kasumi. "Sometimes I wish she wasn't such a"—she growled, rubbing the curve of her mask—"such a paragon, you know?"
The thief eyed the screen a little longer before turning her back as well. "I know."
Having lost her brother in the Mindoir massacre at a young age, most people had assumed that the young woman had entered the Alliance military to exact revenge against the batarian slavers. Instead, Shepard had joined the AEC, spending the next five years creating innovative tech, and leading in the construction of roads and bases on various asteroids. If not for the events that had transpired in the Skyllian Verge where she had been vacationing, she would have probably gone on to become a major figure in the Alliance Engineering Corps. Instead, she had left their ranks to become an active soldier, where her skills as an engineer and as a field medic eventually got her enlisted in the N7 program.
Kasumi remembered hacking into her records just before she agreed to take the job and join Shepard's crew. She remembered being baffled to hear that this woman, who had experienced firsthand what it was like to lose a loved one to a batarian, had saved one from dying from a foreign disease. Granted, it was Mordin's cure that healed everyone, but it was her intervention that kept this particular batarian alive long enough to receive the cure.
And her kindness didn't end there.
She helped people wherever she went. Sometimes it was the little things, like giving money to a quarian on his Pilgrimage, or stopping a kid from joining a band of mercenaries. Sometimes it required a leap of faith, like releasing Grunt from his tank, or reactivating the geth known as Legion. Whatever it may be, Shepard always did what she felt was right, even if the others felt that her belief was a bit misplaced.
But that kindness had a way of changing people too. Even Miranda, who was the most cynical of them, had chosen to follow Shepard, had believed in the impossible, because she trusted Shepard implicitly.
Could she win this batarian over too?
Kasumi didn't have to look to know what the answer was.
"I thought you were going to wait for me outside," Shepard drawled, massaging her neck as she exited the main chamber.
"We are outside. We're just a little further away than you had expected," Kasumi replied, moving to shorten the distance between them.
Their commander raised an eyebrow but said nothing more as they continued down the hallway. Legion, who had actually stayed just outside the door earlier, caught up to Shepard's quick strides, saying, "Major Kirrahe wishes to inform you that there is a distress signal coming from the Euler system in the Arcturus Stream. He wonders if he should send a team over to investigate."
Shepard paused, taking some time to consider the proposition. "That's a little far away, isn't it?"
"It's a few Mass Relay jumps away," Legion agreed. "But if we separate from our main forces, we'll be there in around two, three hours."
"Normandy's closer to the Arcturus Stream than we are," Shepard began in a pensive tone, "but I have a feeling they'll be too busy to answer. Last I heard, they're looking for a crashed turian ship on Tuchanka."
"Shall I tell Major Kirrahe to forward the distress signal to Alliance Military then?"
"Forward it, but tell them we'll be investigating that signal."
"Are you sure that is wise? I can send some of the geth over—"
Shepard shook her head. "The Euler system is home to some of our human colonies. Considering news of the geth joining our side has yet to reach all of known space, sending geth over might not be such a smart thing. Besides, we have some time before our team needs to rendezvous with the Normandy. I think we can squeeze in one more rescue operation. It's on the way after all."
"Something up, Commander?" Kasumi asked from behind.
"Possibly," Shepard admitted. "But we'll discuss that later once we're on our way. Legion, I assume that you'll be bringing most of your forces with you, yes?"
Legion bobbed his head in agreement. "We will be following you, Shepard-Commander. Just as I promised. Just as we promised."
"Then you wouldn't mind leaving about five percent of your forces behind to begin revitalizing Rannoch?"
"If that is what you desire," Legion acquiesced.
"Wait," Tali interrupted, moving to stand on Shepard's other side. "You're leaving some of the geth behind?"
"And some of the quarians actually. Not a lot though. We can't risk leaving too many of them behind."
"Why? I understand that you want as many of us fighting against the Reapers, but a large number of us are not meant for combat duty, Commander," Tali protested. "At least let the liveships stay."
"It doesn't matter if they can fight or not," Shepard replied, palming in the scanner to let them in through the corridor leading back to Virmire. "If we leave too many behind, it might catch the attention of the Reapers." She glanced at Tali and gave the tech specialist a tentative smile. "I've heard that the Reapers only attack worlds with high density populations. If we can avoid that, well, it would be nice to see at least one planet thriving after this war is over." She bumped her shoulder playfully against Tali's and winked before stepping into SSV Virmire's bridge.
"Welcome back, Commander Shepard," Kirrahe greeted her from the Galaxy Map. "I trust that you've had a fruitful trip to the geth dreadnought?"
"Everything is going well," she replied. "I hear that there's a distress call coming from the Euler system?"
"Yes, from the planet Benning specifically. You wanted to take care of that yourself?"
Shepard nodded. "We'll be heading down to the armoury in about two hours' time. For now I have some business to discuss with Admiral Raan."
"If you require some privacy, perhaps you'd like to use my cabin for this meeting," Kirrahe offered.
"The conference room will do." Shepard stopped on her tracks and turned to address Kirrahe directly. The others had already dispersed to take care of some last minute business. Legion had gone to one of the available terminals to communicate with his brethren. Tali and Chikita, on the other hand, had gone ahead to the conference room. "Tell me, Major Kirrahe, how did you come by the distress signal?"
The salarian leaned against the railing, one hand cupping his chin. "They weren't in the usual channels, I can tell you that much. The protocols and the signal were of human design, but it appears that the device they used was originally created by the turians."
"That makes sense considering the Reapers took out Benning's comm. buoys and starships during their initial attack against Arcturus Station." Shepard braced herself against the counter near the Galaxy Map. "But when did the turians have time to send them comm. equipment? And why wasn't the Alliance notified about this?"
"Maybe it got lost amongst the military chatter."
"I'm not so sure. After the Reapers destroyed Arcturus Station, Benning lost most of its military importance. I suppose we can use it for supply and repair once we've freed up some resources to fix their spaceports and strengthen their defences, but right now they're of secondary concern to us. If Admiral Hackett wants Benning, then it would have been a priority. However, the turians took the initiative to send comm. equipment to them. Why?"
"They must have scavenged turian equipment somehow and used that instead?" Kirrahe suggested, trying to think of a different angle behind the signal's origin.
"Unless they've had that equipment before the Reapers invaded, I don't see how they can get it. The Apien Crest is two jumps away, and as we know, it's being heavily attacked. It would make more sense for them to ask for aid from the volus in the Aru star system."
"You think this is a trap, don't you?"
"Cerberus has used a turian signal before to deceive me. I wouldn't be too surprised if they do it again." Shepard sighed. "We'll see once we get there." She turned to leave but paused a little. "Oh, and I'll need a shuttle driver once we enter Benning's atmo later. Think you can spare one of your crew?"
"Let me personally bring you there, Commander," Feron answered from the intercom.
"And who'll be driving my ship, Feron?" Kirrahe inquired.
"My second-in-command, of course," the drell spoke easily. "Come on, Kirrahe. After all, Commander Shepard saved my life."
"She's probably saved all of our lives at some point or another."
Shepard simply rolled her eyes and gestured for Kasumi to follow her towards the conference room.
"Can't take a compliment, Shep?" Kasumi teased.
"As long as they don't build a statue of me . . ."
The thief chuckled. "I think it's too soon for wishful thinking, Commander."
Admiral Raan was amicable enough despite the two geth present in the conference room. She had agreed to most of the terms that Shepard had set, and was quite relieved when Shepard had suggested she lead the project to create living space for both the quarians and the geth. Unlike the more hostile Xen, Raan was more willing to live with the geth if it meant receiving their help. Chikita, who was already showing signs of having assimilated John's personality, had suggested that the geth set up a laboratory in Rannoch as well. Having stayed in Rannoch after the quarian exodus, the geth were familiar with the sicknesses that could be found in the quarian home-world. Once they reproduce Rannoch's local pathogens, they could use those in conjunction with geth programs to stimulate the quarian immune system, which would drastically reduce the timeframe needed for the quarians' immune systems to adapt to their home-world. Suffice to say, the admiral was quite pleased afterwards, even offering to send a brace of patrol ships to escort Virmire to the Euler system.
Shepard graciously accepted the offer and went to see the Admiral off before returning to her makeshift room in the Engineering deck. While the others rested for the upcoming mission, Shepard had used the extra few hours to pack her things and respond to the priority messages she had been neglecting to answer. Jack had found Miranda in one of the Cerberus stations in Sanctum and was heading for the Citadel where they would be rendezvousing with the Normandy. Liara had sent an update concerning the missing platoon on Tuchanka. It seemed that the Primarch had sent his son to the Kelphic Valley to disable a bomb that the Reapers could potentially use to detonate the area—a bomb that had been left there after the Krogan Rebellions.
Shepard had taken a short break after reading that particular e-mail. She worried about Liara more than she'd like to show, and the thought of her beloved facing more Reaper troops in Tuchanka made Shepard restless. More than anything she wanted to go back, to ignore the distress signal in Benning and head to Tuchanka directly to make sure that Liara was safe, but she had to appear strong for her comrades. She couldn't let her emotions get the better of her now.
She rubbed her neck, taking care not to touch the 'plug' on her back, and closed her personal terminal with her free hand. She knew that she was taking a risk in telling Dr. Kohen the truth about the Bahak system. The majority of batarians didn't know that she was at fault for destroying the Alpha relay, and the Alliance military had meant for it to stay that way. The entire galaxy needed to unite if they wanted to stand a chance against the Reapers, and the batarians were unlikely to help if they knew that the woman spearheading their counterattack was a war criminal.
But she couldn't keep quiet either.
Ever since the batarian had introduced himself to Shepard, she had begun having reoccurring dreams of Project Base on the asteroid Golgotha. Her memories of Mindoir would bleed through these dreams, turning them into nightmares that mixed the violence of Mindoir with the guilt she felt over the deaths of so many batarians. It had brought back her insomnia at full force, which meant more visitations to the Med Bay.
Knowing that she would be leaving Virmire soon, Shepard had hoped to avoid talking to Dr. Kohen about Bahak entirely. But seeing her brother again, watching him try to compromise with the batarian who would later die by his side after trying to protect him, her guilt resurfaced tenfold.
There was no way she could just turn a blind eye, not after Dr. Kohen had treated her so well.
"At least he didn't try to kill me," Shepard murmured, rifling through her hair with one trembling hand, her lips twisting in a scowl. She got to her feet and stretched a little before making her ascent up towards the elevator. Virmire would be arriving in the Euler system soon, and she had to get ready for the rescue mission to Benning.
When she arrived in the armoury section near the Shuttle Bay, the others had already gathered, servicing their weapons and making sure nothing was amiss with their equipment. A slight wave from Tali brought Shepard over, prompting her to remove the restrictions on Tali's omni-tool.
"I heard about the distress signal from Kasumi. Do you really think it's a trap, Shepard?"
"It makes the most sense," Kasumi spoke from above one of the crates stored near the UT-47s, her feet dangling from one side. "I talked to Feron earlier and he told me that they've found evidence of Cerberus strike ships hiding nearby."
"There are also heat signatures confirming a human presence in Benning," Feron added, having just stepped out of the elevator. "So it's definitely not a Reaper attack."
"Either way, we're dealing with Cerberus forces here. At this point, it doesn't matter if we're walking into a trap." Shepard said as she moved towards the UT-47 Kodiak. The others followed suit, strapping their weapons on their magnetic holsters. Chikita stayed behind near the elevator, knowing that he would be unable to join them for the recon and rescue mission due to his size. "The bigger question to ask ourselves is why. Why are they interested in Benning? Why would they want to set up a trap there?"
"Human resources," Legion answered, boarding the UT-47 after Tali. "There are rumours that Cerberus is building something big—something that requires a lot of manpower if they want to succeed. Since Benning's near Arcturus Station, it's the go-to area for Alliance starships that need supplies or repairs. They may not have the brightest minds in the galaxy, but they'll have enough technical experts stationed there to be of some use to Cerberus."
"The Arcturus Stream is also a few mass relay jumps away from Normandy's current position. Send a wide-area signal, and they'll certainly catch Normandy's attention soon enough. They could be trying to lure you into an early death, Commander," Feron added.
"But with Normandy's stealth system, they shouldn't know where it is," Tali argued. "Unless we have a spy on that ship."
"Or they could just be guessing," Feron said. "After all, it's public knowledge that Palaven is under attack. Considering Commander Shepard's also a Spectre, it would make sense for one of the Councillors to ask for her aid. Since the Reapers have yet to make a move on the salarian and asari home-worlds, it would make the most sense to send Shepard to Palaven."
"Except that the Normandy isn't there anymore." Shepard rebutted. "I think we're over-thinking the situation. The means doesn't matter. Just the ends."
"Well, I guess we'll just have to find out," Kasumi said, opening the hatch of the UT-47. Outside, the sky had turned into a murky orange. Grey clouds were overcast, converging together in what promised to be a nasty storm. They landed on an empty street square where crates, and bits and pieces of a shuttle's exterior parts littered the ground. In the distance, they could see Cerberus drop ships hovering near residential apartment areas. They could also hear the sounds of gunfire and screaming far ahead.
"Well, it doesn't look like they've noticed us," Tali said dryly.
"Let's keep it that way," Shepard spoke, pulling her Phalanx from its magnetic clip on her waist. "Feron, try to lay low for now. Do not engage against the enemy. You're driving a UT-47, and that thing doesn't have any weapons."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Tali, Legion, I want you investigating the right side of this area. Start with building 52 over there," she said, nodding at one of the open enclosures up the steel ramps. "Kasumi and I will move up ahead over there. Radio us if anything goes awry. Save any civilians you can and try to find the source of the distress signal. If things get too hot, I want you out, you got that?"
"But, Shepard—"
"We don't have enough backup to take these guys on our own. Even if we clear this area of Cerberus troops, it's going to be moot without sufficient backup—and I don't just mean a few extra quarian patrol ships. Alliance says they'll send in some reinforcements, but they're light years away. This is a recon mission first." Shepard cleared her throat and adjusted the N7 helmet she had donned on. "Our shuttle can only hold fourteen people, including our pilot."
"So you're saying that we can't save everyone," Tali spoke hotly.
"I guess you can say it depends on who's still alive at this point," Kasumi replied. "Let's go, Commander."
Shepard bowed her head slightly. "Rendezvous here in twenty." They left before Tali could say anything else.
Up ahead there were two other enclosures between a ramp going downwards. Shepard pressed her back against one of the walls and peered inside, seeing only an incline chair and some scattered papers on the floor. She motioned for Kasumi to go ahead, making sure that the thief's six was covered as they entered one of the open rooms. Walking past the kitchen unit, they exchanged looks as they heard the sounds of pleading civilians nearby. Kasumi turned on her cloak, moving ahead towards the back of one of the parked cars. Shepard crouched behind the doorway, glancing at the civilians outside.
There were five of them surrounded by a slew of soldiers in Cerberus colours. About to open fire at them, Shepard was hit with a sense of déjà vu at the sight of one of the captives. A dark-skinned woman with short, curly black hair reaching her shoulders and a prominent nose, cowered among them, mumbling pleas to the soldiers. There was something about her that Shepard couldn't quite place, something that had awakened her curiosity. She paused for another moment, counting to three before she unleashed a wave of electricity which jumped from one trooper to the next, temporarily immobilizing them. "Move!" she growled at the civilians, beckoning to the exit behind her. She took careful aim of the Cerberus soldiers converging towards her and shot at their knees, freezing them with her cryo-ammo. Near her twelve, Kasumi had circled around the soldiers and had killed a handful of their numbers. Pulling one of the fallen troopers to his knees, she crouched and asked, "What's Cerberus trying to accomplish here?"
"We're trying to capture you, Commander," someone spoke clearly from behind her. Shepard tensed and turned her head slowly, knowing that any sudden movement might startle her enemies into action. Besides the five civilians she had 'saved', other men and women in civilian clothing were appearing from behind the crates and cars that surrounded the area. All carried weapons of some kind directed at her.
"Trap," Kasumi snarled, her omni-tool already on, ready for a counterattack.
"Not so fast," their leader, a fair-skinned man in his late thirties, spoke confidently, taking a remote control from his pocket. "The Illusive Man sends his greetings, Commander." He grinned savagely and pressed the single button on the remote.
Martinez knew something had gone wrong when the commander didn't collapse to the ground like she was supposed to. Like the others, she had been briefed about the weakness the Illusive Man had implanted on the commander's back, just underneath the skin of her nape. It was supposed to send an electrical pulse towards her brain, forcing her to fall unconscious when it was activated. Instead, she remained standing, sending a wave of unease among the Cerberus soldiers surrounding her.
Chaos erupted from the centre of their ring as the short woman sent another wave of electricity around her, overloading their kinetic barriers. Martinez jumped to the side, wincing as the sound of gunfire killed those just in front of her. The commander and her companion were beasts when it came to fighting, already taking down a third of their contingent before forcing to move to a defensive position. Martinez saw her superior signal for them to retreat and spread out before disappearing behind the enclosure.
"Serves them right for thinking they could take her down with just that," she muttered, taking a survey of her surroundings. Turning on her tactical cloak—a precaution she was glad she had taken—Martinez silently moved towards the commander, taking care not to be in her direct line of sight. Martinez felt some relief when she saw them evade the grenade that someone had thoughtlessly thrown at the fleeing commander. Their orders were to capture Shepard alive, and failure to do so meant death for them.
The two had moved to another open enclosure, climbing up the ladder to reach the second-storey floor. Seeing her chance, Martinez used a moderated version of her cryo function to freeze the commander's friend. She pulled her down the rung and dragged her to the side where she quickly incapacitated the hooded woman with a choke hold. She didn't want any of Shepard's companions dead if she could help it, so she dragged the woman behind one of the canisters nearby.
By the time she had gotten up the ladder, a Phantom-class trainee had already engaged Shepard in hand-to-hand combat. She was awestruck by the sight of the commander putting up a good fight, though it was clear that the Phantom had the upper hand.
From within her mind, she could feel the dark god urging for her to take part in the fight. She ignored his whispers, knowing that she could not afford to make a mistake now. It was still too early for her to reveal her true identity.
Using the commander's favoured move, she struck the commander from behind with a burst of electricity from her omni-tool. It slowed the woman down long enough for the Phantom to hit her with the butt end of her blade, causing Shepard to fall on her knees. Still, Shepard was tenacious, and struggled to stay conscious despite the blow to her helmet.
Feeling her heart clench at the sight of the downed commander, Martinez took a deep breath and shifted her attention elsewhere, even as she heard the Phantom hit Shepard again.
I'm sorry, Commander. She thought as she re-holstered her gun. This isn't exactly how I thought I'd be repaying you.
End notes: Shit just got real, innit?
Shine: Where's Legion and Tali? Were they making out off-screen?
Hahaha. Just thought I'd leave that there.
